I know, I know. Most of the recipes posted as of late have been very…hmmm…light? Peanut Jab, Green Goodness, Granola, and Vegan Chocolate Cake. Are you beginning to wonder what the Raggamuslims are eating other than smoothies, granola and cake? Well, we DO eat meals on occasion but I usually whip it up so quickly sans measuring cups, a camera, pen and paper, rhyme or reason, that I barely know how to recreate the recipe myself.

However, a very special somebody in my life has decided to go vegan and it makes me nostalgic of the days when I was in his shoes- freshman in college, eager to learn, becoming more aware of the world and trying to find my place in it. Those were some of the most frightening and liberating times of my life and I remember them fondly. So, in honor of my newly vegan brother and any others willing to chart a new path of health consciousness, we’re inaugurating a new recipe series: RaggaVegan Basics. We hope to share tried and true recipes that are intentionally simple, quick, easy, tasty, whole, affordable, and (hopefully) reproducible in your own kitchens. These recipes are written with the novice cook in mind but hopefully the veteran vegans and veggie friendly folks will enjoy them as well. Feel free to add tips, suggestions, questions, or critiques in the comments below.

Ingredients

5 cups dried red lentils

10 cups water

3 medium-sized tomatoes

5 cloves garlic

1/2 medium-sized red onion

1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger

1 tablespoon (tbsp) cumin

3 teaspoons (tsp) sea salt

5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Rinse lentils in large bowl

2. Add lentils and water to a large pot

3. Bring to a boil. You can skim off the froth that appears when the lentils are near boiling. Once the lentils boil, reduce to a low-medium flame. The lentils should take 20-30 minutes to cook. You’ll know when they’re cooked when the lentils are uniform in color

4. While the lentils are boiling, chop the remaining ingredients, then blend them in a blender until smooth

BeforeAfter

5. Once lentils are cooked, add blended mixture to the pot and turn off the flame. Season to taste and enjoy!